What was held for the written word of God among the Jews.
12. The Jews did hold the book of the whole law, which was called Deuteronomy, for the written word of God; and that only (forasmuch as can be collected out of sacred history) until the captivity. For this book was delivered by Moses himself to the priests, to be kept and laid up in the side of the ark of the covenant, and to be copied out by the kings; and the same a long time after, by the authority of king Josiah (2 Kings xxiii. 2), acknowledged again for the word of God. But it is not manifest, when the rest of the books of the Old Testament were first received into canon. But what concerns the prophets, Isaiah and the rest, since they foretold no other things than what were to come to pass, either in or after the captivity, their writings could not at that time be held for prophetic; by reason of the law cited above (Deut. xviii. 21, 22), whereby the Israelites were commanded not to account any man for a true prophet, but him whose prophecies were answered by the events. And hence peradventure it is, that the Jews esteemed the writings of those whom they slew when they prophesied, for prophetic afterward; that is to say, for the word of God.
The power of interpreting the word of God, and the supreme civil power, were united in Moses while he lived.
13. It being known what laws there were under the old covenant, and what word of God received from the beginning; we must furthermore consider, with whom the authority of judging, whether the writings of the prophets arising afterward were to be received for the word of God; that is to[is to] say, whether the events did answer their predictions or not; and with whom also the authority of interpreting the laws already received, and the written word of God, did reside: which thing is to be traced through all the times and several changes of the commonwealth of Israel. But it is manifest that this power, during the life of Moses, was entirely in himself. For if he had not been the interpreter of the laws and word, that office must have belonged either to every private person, or to a congregation or synagogue of many, or to the high-priest or to other prophets. First, that that office belonged not to private men, or any congregation made of them, appears hence; that they were not admitted, nay, they were prohibited with most heavy threats, to hear God speak, otherwise than by the means of Moses. For it is written, (Exod. xix. 24, 25): Let not the priests and the people break through, to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them. It is further manifestly and expressly declared, upon occasion given by the rebellion of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, that neither private men nor the congregation should pretend that God had spoken by them, and by consequence that they had the right of interpreting God’s word. For they contending, that God spake no less by them than by Moses, argue thus, (Numbers xvi. 3): Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? But how God determined this controversy, is easily understood by verses 33 and 35 of the same chapter, where Corah, Dathan, and Abiram went down alive into the pit, &c. And there came out fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. Secondly, that Aaron the high-priest had not this authority, is manifest by the like controversy between him (together with his sister Miriam) and Moses. For the question was, whether God spake by Moses only, or by them also; that is to say, whether Moses alone, or whether they also were interpreters of the word of God. For thus they said, (Numb. xii. 2): Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not also spoken by us? But God reproved them; and made a distinction between Moses and other prophets, saying, (verse 6, 7, 8): If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream: my servant Moses is not so, &c. For with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? Lastly, that the interpretation of the word of God as long as Moses lived, belonged not to any other prophets whatsoever, is collected out of that place which we now cited, concerning his eminency above all others; and out of natural reason, for as much as it belongs to the same prophet, who brings the commands of God, to unfold them too; but there was then no other word of God, beside that which was declared by Moses. And out of this also, that there was no other prophet extant at that time, who prophesied to the people, excepting the seventy elders who prophesied by the spirit of Moses. And even that Joshua, who was then Moses’ servant, his successor afterward, believed to be injuriously done, till he knew it was by Moses’ consent; which thing is manifest by text of Scripture, (Numb. xi. 25): And the Lord came down in a cloud, &c. and took of the spirit that was upon Moses, and gave it unto the seventy elders. Now after it was told that they prophesied, Joshua said unto Moses, Forbid them, my lord. But Moses answered: Why enviest thou for my sake? Seeing therefore Moses alone was the messenger of God’s word, and that the authority of interpreting it pertained neither to private men, nor to the synagogue, nor to the high-priest, nor to other prophets; it remains that Moses alone was the interpreter of Gods word, who also had the supreme power in civil matters; and that the conventions of Corah with the rest of his complices against Moses and Aaron, and of Aaron with his sister against Moses, were raised, not for the salvation of their souls, but by reason of their ambition and desire of dominion over the people.
They were also united in the high-priest, during the life of Joshua.
14. In Joshua’s time the interpretation of the laws, and of the word of God, belonged to Eleazar the high-priest; who was also, under God, their absolute king. Which is collected, first of all, out of the covenant itself; in which the commonwealth of Israel is called a priestly kingdom, or, as it is recited in 1 Peter ii. 9, a royal priesthood. Which could in no wise be said, unless by the institution and covenant of the people, the regal power were understood to belong to the high-priest. Neither doth this repugn what hath been said before, where Moses, and not Aaron, had the kingdom under God. Since it is necessary, when one man institutes the form of a future commonwealth, that one should govern the kingdom which he institutes during his life, (whether it be monarchy, aristocracy, or democracy); and have all that power for the present, which he is bestowing on others for the future. Now, that Eleazar the priest had not only the priesthood, but also the sovereignty, is expressly set down in Joshua’s call to the administration. For thus it is written (Numb, xxvii. 18, 19, 20, 21): Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight; and thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient; and he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim, before the Lord; at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come in, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. Where to ask counsel of God for whatsoever is to be done, that is, to interpret God’s word, and in the name of God to command in all matters, belongs to Eleazar; and to go out and to come in at his word, that is to say, to obey, belongs both to Joshua and to all the people. It is to be observed also, that that speech, part of thy glory, clearly denotes that Joshua had not a power equal with that which Moses had. In the meantime it is manifest, that even in Joshua’s time the supreme power and authority of interpreting the word of God, were both in one person.
They were also united in the high-priest, until king Saul’s time.
15. After Joshua’s death follow the times of the Judges until king Saul; in which it is manifest that the right of the kingdom instituted by God, remained with the high-priest. For the kingdom was by covenant priestly, that is to say, God’s government by priests. And such ought it to have been, until that form, with God’s consent, were changed by the people themselves; which was not done before that requiring a king God consented unto them, and said unto Samuel (1 Sam. viii. 7): Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. The supreme civil power was therefore rightly due by God’s own institution to the high-priest; but actually that power was in the prophets, to whom (being raised by God in an extraordinary manner) the Israelites, a people greedy of prophets, submitted themselves to be protected and judged, by reason of the great esteem they had of prophecies. The reason of this thing was, because that though penalties were set and judges appointed in the institution of God’s priestly kingdom; yet, the right of inflicting punishment depended wholly on private judgment; and it belonged to a dissolute multitude and each single person to punish or not to punish, according as their private zeal should stir them up. And therefore Moses by his own command punished no man with death; but when any man was to be put to death, one or many stirred up the multitude against him or them, by divine authority, and saying, Thus saith the Lord. Now this was conformable to the nature of God’s peculiar kingdom. For there God reigns indeed, where his laws are obeyed not for fear of men, but for fear of himself. And truly, if men were such as they should be, this were an excellent state of civil government; but as men are, there is a coercive power (in which I comprehend both right and might) necessary to rule them. And therefore also God, from the beginning, prescribed laws by Moses for the future kings (Deut. xvii. 14-20). And Moses foretold this in his last words to the people, saying (Deut. xxxi. 29): I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you, &c. When therefore according to this prediction there arose another generation (Judges ii. 10-11) who knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Balaam; to wit, they cast off God’s government, that is to say, that of the priest, by whom God ruled; and afterward, when they were overcome by their enemies and oppressed with bondage, they looked for God’s will, not at the hands of the priest any more, but of the prophets. These therefore actually judged Israel; but their obedience was rightly due to the high-priest. Although therefore the priestly kingdom, after the death of Moses and Joshua, was without power; yet was it not without right. Now that the interpretation of God’s word did belong to the same high-priest, is manifest by this; that God, after the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant was consecrated, spake no more in Mount Sinai, but in the tabernacle of the covenant, from the propitiatory which was between the cherubims, whither it was not lawful for any to approach except the high-priest. If therefore regard be had to the right of the kingdom, the supreme civil power and the authority of interpreting God’s word were joined in the high-priest. If we consider the fact, they were united in the prophets who judged Israel. For as judges, they had the civil authority; as prophets, they interpreted God’s word. And thus every way hitherto these two powers continued inseparable.
They were united in the kings, until the captivity.
16. Kings being once constituted, it is no doubt but the civil authority belonged to them. For the kingdom of God by the way of priesthood (God consenting to the request of the Israelites) was ended; which Hierom also marks, speaking of the books of Samuel. Samuel, says he, Eli being dead and Saul slain, declares the old law abolished. Furthermore, the oaths of the new priesthood and new sovereignty in Zadok and David, do testify that the right, whereby the kings did rule, was founded in the very concession of the people. The priest could rightly do whatsoever every man could rightly do himself; for the Israelites granted him a right to judge of all things, and to wage war for all men; in which two are contained all right whatsoever can be conceived from man to man. Our king say they (1 Sam. viii. 20) shall judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. Judicature therefore belonged to the kings. But to judge is nothing else, than by interpreting to apply the laws to the facts. To them therefore belonged the interpretation of laws too. And because there was no other written word of God acknowledged beside the law of Moses, until the captivity; the authority of interpreting God’s word did also belong to the kings. Nay, forasmuch as the word of God must be taken for a law, if there had been another written word beside the Mosaical law, seeing the interpretation of laws belonged to the kings, the interpretation of it must also have belonged to them. When the book of Deuteronomy, in which the whole Mosaical law was contained, being a long time lost was found again; the priests indeed asked counsel of God concerning that book, but not by their own authority, but by the commandment of Josiah; and not immediately neither, but by the means of Holda the prophetess. Whence it appears that the authority of admitting books for the word of God, belonged not to the priest. Neither yet follows it, that that authority belonged to the prophetess; because others did judge of the prophets, whether they were to be held for true or not. For to what end did God give signs and tokens to all the people, whereby the true prophets might be discerned from the false; namely, the event of predictions, and conformity with the religion established by Moses; if they might not use those marks? The authority therefore of admitting books for the word of God, belonged to the king; and thus that book of the law was approved, and received again by the authority of king Josiah; as appears by the second book of the Kings, chap, xxii. xxiii.: where it is reported that he gathered together all the several degrees of his kingdom, the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people; and he read in their ears all the words of the covenant; that is to say, he caused that covenant to be acknowledged for the Mosaical covenant; that is to say, for the word of God; and to be again received and confirmed by the Israelites. The civil power therefore, and the power of discerning God’s word from the words of men, and of interpreting God’s word even in the days of the kings, was wholly belonging to themselves. Prophets were sent not with authority, but in the form and by the right of proclaimers and preachers, of whom the hearers did judge. And if perhaps these were punished who did not listen to them plainly, teaching easy things; it doth not thence follow, that the kings were obliged to follow all things which they, in God’s name, did declare were to be followed. For though Josiah, the good king of Judah, were slain because he obeyed not the word of the Lord from the mouth of Necho king of Egypt; that is to say, because he rejected good counsel though it seemed to come from an enemy; yet no man I hope will say that Josiah was, by any bond either of divine or human laws, obliged to believe Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, because he said that God had spoken to him. But what some man may object against kings, that for want of learning they are seldom able enough to interpret those books of antiquity, in the which God’s word is contained; and that for this cause, it is not reasonable that this office should depend on their authority; he may object as much against the priests and all mortal men; for they may err. And although priests were better instructed in nature and arts than other men, yet kings are able enough to appoint such interpreters under them; and so, though kings did not themselves interpret the word of God, yet the office of interpreting them might depend on their authority. And they who therefore refuse to yield up this authority to kings, because they cannot practice the office itself, do as much as if they should say, that the authority of teaching geometry must not depend upon kings, except they themselves were geometricians. We read that kings have prayed for the people; that they have blessed the people; that they have consecrated the temple; that they have commanded the priests; that they have removed priests from their office; that they have constituted others. Sacrifices indeed they have not offered; for that was hereditary to Aaron and his sons. But it is manifest, as in Moses’ lifetime, so throughout all ages, from king Saul to the captivity of Babylon, that the priesthood was not a maistry, but a ministry.